2 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



Behind the hoof there are sometimes two small 

 spurs, the only vestiges of lateral toes. The two 

 bands of the metacarpus and metatarsus are united 

 nto one. 



The name Ruminantia indicates the singular pro- 

 perty of these animals, of masticating their aliment 

 a second time which they bring back into the mouth 

 after a first deglutition. This property results from 

 the structure of their stomachs ; of these they always 

 have four, the three first of which are so disposed 

 that the food can enter indifferently into either of 

 them, because the oesophagus abuts on the point of 

 communication. 



The first and largest is called the paunch (ventricu- 

 lus) ; it receives in abundance the vegetable food, 

 grossly pounded by the first mastication. From this 

 it goes into the second, called the honeycomb, or bon- 

 net (reticulum), the sides of which have laminse simi- 

 lar to the honeycomb. This stomach is very small 

 and globular ; it seizes the food, imbibes and com- 

 presses it into little pellets, which afterwards re- 

 mount successively to the mouth, to be again masti- 

 cated. The animal remains quiet during this ope- 

 ration, which continues until all the food swallowed 

 before into the paunch has submitted to it. The 

 food, in this manner chewed a second time, descends 

 directly into the third stomach (omasum), named 

 feuillet, because its sides have longitudinal laminae 

 like the leaves of a book, and from thence into 

 the fourth (abomassum), or caillette, the sides of which 

 are in wrinkles, and this is the true organ of diges- 



